The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-01-15


and swept a business-like glance around
before the train steamed away; there
fore, by the time the station-masterh had
put up the mail and served one or two
customers, he had satisfactory order
written out, and professed himself
ready to mount the next train, for
which he would have to wait quite two
hours.
ooh, you know how to put the time
in, =" said the station-master, "as long
as we have any pretty girls left in the
neighborhood."
The drummer smiled out of the back
door at q huddle of two or three cabins
and board huts, as if the capacity of
such place for producing pretty girls
was too contemplate joke for him to
NEEDLE with. He said he guessed he
would 90 down to the landing and see
if he couldn't get skiff awile.
Betty jenkins will be down that
way" suggested the station-master.
"She was in here minute ago"
Gran from me-" said the drummer.
'T'd kind of advise her to, if she
hadn't said the station-keeper.
whats the objection to me P"
laughed the drummer I'm only a
good gray sinner They'll have to dip
me several times more before I'm as
black as you South Illinois Egyptians"
"Old lady Jenkins will have a crow
to pick with you, though, if she happens
to drop onto all these letters and
walks"
"You undertake too much, " said the
drummer, shaking his head with gentle
responsiveness. THE store and post
office and station and the neighborhood
will accumulate, and be too many for
you"
Beetrus saw him sauntering on her
track. The blood was buzzing in her
head, and she hid herself upon pile
of steep high rocks, obeying some wild
impulse of which she felt ashamed. To
follow him with her eyes and be herself
invisible was an impersonal rapture in
which she could indulge without giving
it too great advantage. Yet, when he
disappeared near the river, she felt a
singing check in her heart, and a sense
of having inflicted loss and robbery up
on herself.
To Beetrus he was the walking es-
sence of the world, representing not
only its mighty business, but its adyan-
tages of culture and travel. She never
had been from home except to Evans
vile and New Harmony; and he never
staid two nights in place, and spoke
with fatigue of his exciting life. What
operas he had seen!-for in Beetrus'
chaotic imagination all theatrical per-
Torrance was opera, and operas were
the distinct possessions of the wealthy.
J She resented with a mixture of awe
and daring the greatness of his rela-
} tives. He was a nephew of the head OF
J his commercial house, and his grand
, father had been a Congressman; while
, her background was the pioneer
cabin, the pecan woods, and Wabash
: rocks and hills.
e Beetrus was the child of shrewd
) though novel-soaked mother, who haC
lowered her with something more thar
) Il mispronounced fine name and biasseC
+ Imagination. 1t is strange to think
5 how large human mass, moving this
: instant in grooves Of practical action
: is protesting with secret scorn agains
} all its conditions. Beetrus was full O.
, II girls unrests and eccentric impulses
= She thought she knew exactly what SHE
S wanted for her happiness, the con
4 densed statement of which would hav,
been to have the whole globe placed il
d, her lap, ticketed simply Reward o
merit
3 She pressed her cheek against tn,
rock linchens taking a half-inverteC
view of the autumn tangle, and glad il
e spite of herself for the pleasant breatl
e of life. 1t was worth while to be par
e of such woods and river vistas, and t.
h smell all the grounds odors. Som
e little living thing ran along log no
+ far from her; and she could hear
S squirrel bark, whish and a whisper O
c loosened leaves as they were sen
}, adrift, and then the dropping of a nut
Stong as the sunlight was, she shivere
5 upon the rocks, and then felt all he
y blood burn, beat, and tremble TIL
e commercial traveller was walking bac
u with brisk step from the river, an,
scanning every opening among tn
,e trees, as if on an eager search. H
l. saw Beetrus rising and tightening he
y pink shawl on her shoulders, and halle
with jerk.
lie "Where have you been?' was his III
" ceremonious exclamation.
=; up here, reading my letters an
- viewing the country"
"You saw me go past, then, didn
n you?"
lie "Was it you?" said she, fitting he